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Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they break down OpenAI’s unexpected launch of ChatGPT for K–12, Google’s accelerating AI momentum, and what these shifts mean for schools, teachers, and the edtech ecosystem.

✨ Episode Highlights:
[00:02:03] OpenAI unveils ChatGPT for K–12 educators—secure, curriculum-aware, and free through 2027
[00:03:02] The emerging AI Classroom Wars between OpenAI and Google across major U.S. districts
[00:07:36] Google’s big week: DeepMind tutoring gains and Gemini 3’s multimodal upgrades
[00:10:25] How district leaders will navigate growing community divides over AI adoption
[00:14:04] What OpenAI’s move means for MagicSchool, SchoolAI, Brisk, and other edtech players

Plus, special guests:
[00:19:26] Janos Perczel, CEO of Polygence on scaling project-based learning with AI and why TeachLM trains models on authentic student–teacher interactions

[00:41:36] Dr. Stephen Hodges, CEO of Efekta Education on AI-powered language learning for 4M students and early evidence of major test score gains

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A. If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer. To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.

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This special on-site episode of Edtech Insiders was recorded live at the Google AI for Learning Forum in London on November 14, 2024, where we sat down with leaders shaping Google’s next generation of learning tools, including Shantanu Sinha, VP of Google for Education, Tal Oppenheimer, Product Management Director, Google Labs & Learning, Julia Wilkowski, Pedagogy & Learning Sciences Team Lead, Google, and Maureen Heymans, VP & GM, Learning, Google. Together, they share how Google is designing AI-powered tools grounded in learning science and built to scale across classrooms worldwide.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. How Google is embedding AI into Classroom and Gemini.
2. How Learn LM’s pedagogy powers Google’s core models.
3. How tools like NotebookLM and Learn Your Way personalize learning.
4. How Google measures learning effectiveness.
5. What’s next for AI in education.

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:01:36] Shantanu Sinha on putting educators in control of AI
[00:02:32] Gemini’s role inside Classroom
[00:06:53] The next wave of reasoning and multimodal AI
[00:09:36] Teachers creating simulations and learning artifacts
[00:14:42] Tal Oppenheimer on personalized textbooks in Learn Your Way
[00:17:29] Building learning features across Google surfaces
[00:35:03] Julia Wilkowski on Google’s five learning science principles
[00:41:43] Multimodal learning and educational video generation
[00:52:03] Maureen Heymans on using AI to enhance video-based learning

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A. If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer. To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.

Send us a text

Brandon Busteed is the CEO of Edconic and a nationally recognized leader in work-integrated learning. Formerly President of Kaplan University Partners and Head of Education & Workforce Development at Gallup, he has spent his career building bridges between higher education and industry through research, innovation, and large-scale partnerships.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why work-integrated learning matters
2. Why employers say grads aren’t work-ready
3. Why internships don’t scale
4. How colleges can merge liberal arts with career prep
5. How AI bridges academic and job skills

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:00:00] The power of work-integrated learning for long-term outcomes
[00:02:49] How the education–workforce gap emerged
[00:05:54] Why so few students get quality applied learning experiences
[00:07:28] Debunking the liberal-arts vs. careerism divide
[00:13:51] The internship shortage and rise of “derivative internships”
[00:18:56] Edtech’s role in expanding work-based learning
[00:20:53] How virtual and industry immersion programs reshape higher ed
[00:24:44] Employers’ low confidence in graduate readiness
[00:26:17] Faculty externships as a bridge between academia and industry
[00:30:01] Co-designed learning between teachers and industry experts
[00:33:24] AI as a translator between academic and career skills
[00:42:12] Saxbys’ model of student-run campus businesses
[00:46:07] Expanding student awareness of career paths beyond the “top 10”

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders!

Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.

🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:

Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.

As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A. If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer. To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.